Lock system including automation notification and surveillance integration

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a lock system including automated notification and surveillance integration. In the lock system of the present disclosure, when any of the locks included in the lock system are locked or unlocked, a notification or communication signal is sent to at least one other device. The at least one other device may be a receiver, smart phone, smart watch, laptop, desktop, and/or an Internet connected or Internet of Things (IoT) device. In one aspect, the at least one other device is an image capturing device that captures one or more images of the lock that has been locked or unlocked and the surrounding area the lock is disposed in responsive to the notification or communication signal sent. The lock system of the present disclosure is configured for use with electronic locks, mechanical locks, and/or hybrid electronic-mechanical locks.

PRIORITY

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/641,599, filed on Mar. 12, 2018, entitled “LOCKSYSTEM INCLUDING AUTOMATED NOTIFICATION AND SURVEILLANCE INTEGRATION”,the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety. The present application also claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/728,809, filed Sep. 9, 2018,entitled “LOCK SYSTEM INCLUDING AUTOMATED NOTIFICATION AND SURVEILLANCEINTEGRATION”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated byreferences it its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to lock, notification andsurveillance systems, and more particularly, to a lock system includingautomated notification and surveillance integration.

BACKGROUND

Surveillance systems are often used by security personnel to surveilareas of interest via video displays that are connected to one or morecameras. These areas of interest and/or the items contained therein areoften secured using a plurality of locks and/or other securing means.Security personnel are often tasked with carefully watching a pluralityof video displays to discern any existing security threats in the areasof interest. However, this may require the usage of an excessive numberof cameras and security personnel to enable the security personnel towatch all of the locks and/or other securing means in the areas ofinterest. These systems can often be costly and ineffective fordiscerning and/or preventing security threats. Therefore, a need existsfor more efficient and effective surveillance systems.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a lock system including automatednotification and surveillance integration. In the lock system of thepresent disclosure, when any of the locks included in the lock systemare locked, unlocked, and/or interacted with (e.g., via key insertioninto a mechanical lock), a notification or communication signal is sentto at least one other device. The at least one other device may be areceiver, smart phone, smart watch, laptop, desktop, and/or an Internetconnected or Internet of Things (IoT) device. In one aspect, the atleast one other device is an image capturing device configured tocapture one or more images of the lock that has been locked or unlockedand the surrounding area the lock is disposed in responsive to thenotification or communication signal sent. The lock system of thepresent disclosure is configured for use with electronic locks,mechanical locks, and/or hybrid electronic-mechanical locks.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a key apparatus is providedincluding: a housing having an interior, the interior configured toreceive a portion of a key for a lock, the key having a shaft extendingfrom the housing such that the shaft is insertable into a keyway of alock; a transceiver; a triggering component coupled to the transceiver,the triggering component configured to be triggered when the shaft isinserted into the keyway of the lock, wherein when the triggeringcomponent is triggered, the transceiver is configured to send at leastone communication signal to at least one device.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a system is providedincluding: a tag disposed proximately to at least one of a lock and/or astructure the lock is mounted to, the tag including: a firsttransceiver, and a microcontroller configured to store a uniqueidentifier associated with the lock; and a key apparatus including: ahousing having an interior, the interior configured to receive a portionof a key for the lock, the key having a shaft extending from the housingsuch that the shaft is insertable into a keyway of the lock; a secondtransceiver; and a triggering component coupled to the transceiver, thetriggering component configured to be triggered when the shaft isinserted into the keyway of the lock, wherein when the triggeringcomponent is triggered, the second transceiver is configured tocommunicate with the first transceiver to obtain the unique identifierand send at least one communication signal to at least one device.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is providedincluding: a housing; a transceiver; a tilt sensor configured to senseif the housing has been tilted; a vibration sensor configured to senseif the housing has been vibrated; and a microcontroller configured tosense at least one communication signal to at least one device if atleast one of the tilt sensor senses the housing has been titled and/orthe vibration sensor senses the housing has been vibrated, thecommunication signal including at least one of a unique identificationnumber associated with the apparatus and/or information associated witha structure the apparatus is coupled to.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become more apparent in light of the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a lock system with automated surveillanceintegration in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an environment including the lock system of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of hybrid electronic mechanical lock inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is another environment including the lock system of FIG. 1 beingused with a mechanical lock in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a key fob in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIGS. 5C, 5D and 5E illustrate another embodiment of a key fob of inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5F and 5G illustrate another embodiment of a key fob in accordancewith the present disclosure;

FIG. 5H illustrates another embodiment of a key fob in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIG. 5I illustrates a non-bitted key fob in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate the lock system of FIG. 1 in yet anotherenvironment in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a block diagram of an existing security system in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a block diagram of the security system of FIG. 7A includingan interface for communicatively connecting several components of thesystem of FIG. 7A in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 7C is a block diagram of the interface of FIG. 7B in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the drawings are for purposes ofillustrating the concepts of the disclosure and are not necessarily theonly possible configuration for illustrating the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be describedhereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In thefollowing description, well-known functions or constructions are notdescribed in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure inunnecessary detail.

The present disclosure provides a lock system including automatednotification and surveillance integration. In the lock system of thepresent disclosure, when any of the locks included in the lock systemare locked, unlocked, and/or a triggering component (e.g., a switch,sensor, or other trigger means) is activated or triggers, a notificationor communication signal is sent to at least one other device. The atleast one other device may be receiver, a smart phone, smart watch,laptop, desktop, and/or an Internet connected or Internet of Things(IoT) device. In one aspect, the at least one other device is an imagecapturing device configured to capture one or more images of the lockthat has been locked or unlocked and the surrounding area the lock isdisposed in responsive to the notification or communication signal sent.The lock system of the present disclosure is configured for use withelectronic locks, mechanical locks, and/or hybrid electronic-mechanicallocks.

Referring to FIG. 1, a lock system 100 including automated notificationand surveillance integration is shown in accordance with the presentdisclosure. System 100 includes monitoring module 102, receiver 104,camera or image capturing device 106, lock 110, and one or moresatellite locks 112. In one embodiment, lock 110 and satellite locks 112are configured as electronic locks. It is to be appreciated that lock110 and/or satellite lock 112 may be configured as any type ofelectronic lock, such as, but not limited to, a padlock, a deadbolt, aknob lock, a lever handle lock, a cam lock, a ratchet lock, etc. Thelock 110 and/or satellite locks 112 may be configured with multiplestrike or latch pins to support various closure formats.

Lock 110 includes a housing 201, where control module 109, connectorports 210, motor or actuator 206, securing member 208, alarm 212, andpower source 213 are disposed in housing 201. Lock 110 further includesan external antenna 116, which may be disposed external to the housing201. It is to be appreciated that the housing 201 may be made of anon-conductive material. Housing 201 of lock 110 is configured to bemounted to a structure, such as a cabinet, lock box, etc., where thestructure may include one or more doors, drawers, or display windowsdesired to be secured in an opened or closed state by lock 110. The sizeof housing 201 is configured to be sufficiently small to enable lock 110to be mounted inconspicuously to or embedded within a structure.

Lock 110 includes a power source 213 for providing power to thecomponents of lock 110. In some embodiments, power source 213 isconfigured as a hardwired connection to an external power source (e.g.,the electrical system of a home or building or a low voltage powersupply). In some embodiments, power source 213 may include circuitry forreceiving power wirelessly, e.g., using electromagnetic induction totransfer energy through an electric field between power source 213 andanother power source. It is to be appreciated that the energy transfermay occur in any part of the electromagnetic spectrum, including, butnot limited to, radio frequency (RF) transmission of energy. In someembodiments, power source 213 is configured as a battery receptacle forreceiving one or more batteries. For example, in one embodiment, powersource 213 is configured as a battery receptacle for receivingLithium-ion batteries that are AA-AAA in size. Lock 110 may beconfigured to efficiently use the battery power from power source 213such that lock 110 may be locked and unlocked many times (e.g., 25,000to 35,000) before the batteries need to be replaced. In someembodiments, lock 110 may be concurrently coupled to a second (e.g.,back-up) power source in additional to power source 213. In this way, ifpower is lost (e.g., a power surge has occurred, the batteries no longerstore a charge, etc.), lock 110 may still be operated (e.g., to beunlocked, locked, etc.) if needed. The second power source may be ahardwired or wireless power source.

Control module 109 includes controller 108, transceiver 114, internalantenna 115, memory 118, and user interface 120. Controller 108 isconfigured to control the locking and unlocking of lock 110. To lock orunlock lock 110, controller 108 is configured to drive a motor 206,where motor 206 is configured to control the interaction of a securingmember 208 of lock 110 with a receptacle 214 of a structure lock 110 ismounted to. When securing member 208 engages receptacle 214, lock 110 isin a locked state and when securing member 208 is not engagingreceptacle 214, lock 110 is in an unlocked state. The securing member208 may be a plunger of a plunger-type lock, a latch or hook of aratchet-type lock, or any other type of securing member. For example,where the securing member 208 is a plunger-type lock, controller 108 isconfigured to driver motor 206 to extend or retract securing member 208toward or away from receptacle 214 to lock or unlock device 112, asdesired. In one embodiment, the receptacle 214 is configured as a latchpin (e.g., a tapered cylindrical pin coupled to and extending from adoor or drawer) and the securing member 208 includes an aperture toreceive the latch pin (e.g., when closing a door or drawer the latch pinis coupled to). In this embodiment, the securing member 208 isconfigured to receive the latch pin into the aperture and secure (e.g.,by constricting the diameter of the aperture or otherwise engaging thelatch pin) the latch pin within the aperture of the securing member 208when lock 110 is locked. Controller 108 is configured to lock or unlocklock 110 in response to one or more communications signals received viaat least one of transceiver 114, internal antenna 115, external antenna116, and/or a user interface 120, as will be described below.

In one embodiment, antennas 115, 116 are configured forsending/receiving communication signals to/from user devices using oneor more communication protocols, such as, but not limited to,Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC),Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or any other communicationprotocols or methods falling within the electromagnetic spectrum.Controller 108 is configured to lock or unlock lock 110 in response toone or more communication signals received from a user control deviceand sensed by either an internal antenna 115 or an external antenna 116.It is to be appreciated that external antenna 116 may be disposedexternal to housing 201, such that, if internal antenna 115 isinaccessible due to the placement of housing 201 (e.g., where lock 110is embedded within a structure or is otherwise disposed in a locationthat renders the communication capabilities of internal antenna 115ineffective), external antenna 116 may be placed in a more convenientarea for sending and receiving communication signals to/from a usercontrol device. The user control device may be a passive device (such asan RFID tag on an RFID card) or an active device (such as a mobiledevice including one or more antennas, such as RFID, NFC, Bluetooth,BLE, etc., for wireless communication). The user control device includesencrypted authorization data to be communicated to controller 108 forlocking and unlocking lock 110.

For example, in one embodiment, the user control device may be a deviceincluding an RFID chip, such as an RFID card, that interacts withantenna 115 and/or antenna 116. In this embodiment, antennas 115, 116may be configured as RFID readers configured to read information fromthe RFID chip on the RFID card and provide the information to controller108. In this way, when a user presents an authorized RFID card (or otherdevice including an RFID chip) to one of antennas 115, 116, antenna 115or antenna 116 interrogates the RFID chip in the RFID card to obtain thedata (e.g., an authorization code or key associated with lock 110)stored on the RFID chip. The data obtained from interrogating the RFIDcard, is then transmitted or provided by antenna 115 or antenna 116 tocontroller 108. The controller 108 then determines if the obtained datafrom the user device matches authorization data (e.g., an authorizationcode or key for enabling the locking and unlocking of lock 110) storedin memory 118. If the obtained data matches authorization data stored inmemory 118, controller 108 is configured to change the state of lock 110from a locked state to an unlocked state or from an unlocked state to alocked sate by driving motor 206 control securing member 208.

In some embodiments, memory 118 may be disposed in a remote server,where controller 108 is configured to interact with the remote servervia transceiver 114 or other communication means. Controller 108 may bein communication with the remote server over local area network or awide area network (e.g., the Internet).

Although in the embodiment described above, the user control device isan RFID card, in other embodiments antennas 115, 116 and controller 108may be configured for use with other devices and using othercommunication protocols to enable a user to lock or unlock lock 110using a user control device. For example, in one embodiment, antennas115, 116 may be configured to interact with a mobile computing device,such as a smart watch, smart phone, tablet, or other mobile computingdevice. Antennas 115, 116 may be configured to interrogate an RFID orNFC chip or tag disposed in the mobile computing device when the mobilecomputing device is placed proximately to antenna 116. Antennas 115, 116may further be configured to receive communication signals from a usercontrol device in any one of the wireless communication protocols in usetoday, such as, but not limited to, Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, ZigBee,Z-wave, etc., to lock or unlock lock 110.

In some embodiments, each of antennas 115, 116 may be configured asmulti-media readers including a plurality of antennas, each configuredfor communication using different communication protocols. For example,antennas 115, 116 may be configured for communicating via any of thecommunication protocols described above (e.g., RFID, NFC, Bluetooth,BLE, etc.) In this way, lock 110 may be configured to be unlocked by aplurality of different user control devices having differingcommunication capabilities.

In one embodiment, control module 109 includes a user interfaceconfigured for receiving one or more user inputs. Controller 108 isconfigured to lock or unlock electronic lock 110 in response toauthentication information inputted by a user to user interface 120 andprovided to controller 108. For example, user interface 120 may beconfigured as a key pad including a plurality of buttons (e.g., mappedto letters, numbers, and/or other symbols), enabling a user to enter apredetermined code or security key for locking or unlocking lock 110.User interface 120 may also be configured as a biometric reader forreading and obtaining biometric data from a user, such as, but notlimited to, a voice recording, and/or fingerprint, iris, retina, and/orfacial scans. The biometric data obtained from the user may then beprovided from user interface 120 to controller 108, where controller 108is configured to analyze the biometric data to determine if the user isan authorized user (e.g., based on comparing the received biometric datato biometric data stored in memory 118). If controller 108 determinesthat the user is an authorized user, controller 108 is configured tolock or unlock lock 110 responsive to the biometric data inputted touser interface 120 by the user.

In some embodiments, controller 108 is configured to require acombination authentication data (i.e., received via antenna 116 and/oruser interface 120 to lock or unlock lock 110. For example, controller108 may be configured to require a predetermined key or code from a usercontrol device, such as, an RFID card and at least one biometricidentifier (e.g., a fingerprint, recognized voice or face, etc.). It isto be appreciated that controller 108 may be configured to require anynumber and combination of authorization data including on or more codesreceived via antenna 116 and/or user interface 120 and one or morebiometric identifiers received via user interface 120.

Control module 109 of lock 110 also includes a transceiver 114configured to send and receive wireless and/or wired communicationsignals to/from other devices over local and/or wide area networks (suchas the Internet). In some embodiments, controller 108 is configured tolock or unlock lock 110 in response to one or more communication signalsreceived via transceiver 114 from other devices. For example, in oneembodiment, transceiver is configured to receive communication signalsvia transceiver 114 from a computing device (e.g., a computer, laptop,smart phone, smart watch, tablet, etc.) to lock or unlock lock 110. Inthis way, lock 110 is configured to be locked or unlocked remotely, evenif a user is not locked proximately to lock 110.

In one embodiment, transceiver 114 is configured to transmit one or morecommunication signals to a receiver 104, where receiver 104 is coupledto an image capturing device, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) camera106. It is to be appreciated that, in some embodiments, receiver 104 isdisposed within camera 106. In some embodiments, receiver 104 isconfigured as a transceiver. In some embodiments, an interface (e.g.,such as interface 502, 702, described below) is used to extractinformation from the signal received by receiver 104 and provide theextracted information to monitoring module 102, camera 106, or any otherdevice in system 100. The interface may couple receiver 104 to camera106 and monitoring module 102. The interface may be an input/outputdevice configured to facilitate communication between receiver 104 andcamera 106. In one embodiment, the interface may be integrated withreceiver 104.

Receiver 104 and camera 106 are located proximately to the area wherelock 110 is located, such that camera 106 is within an observabledistance of lock 110 and the lens of camera 106 has an unobstructed viewof lock 110. When the state of lock 110 has been changed by controller108 (e.g., lock 110 has been locked or unlocked), controller 108 isconfigured to simultaneously energize a relay within transceiver 114 totransmit one or more communication signals to receiver 104 indicatingthat lock 110 has been locked or unlocked. The one or more communicationsignals received by receiver 104 cause a relay within receiver 104 to beenergized and receiver 104 is then configured to provide the one or morecommunication signals to a controller or processor of camera 106. Inresponse to the one or more communication signals received from receiver104, camera 106 is configured to record at least one image of lock 110.In some embodiments, camera 106 is configured to record a video streamof lock 110 for a predetermined period of time after receiving the onemore communication signals indicating lock 110 has been unlocked.

In some embodiments, the at least one image and/or video recorded bycamera 106 also includes visual capture of the area surrounding lock 110including the structure lock 110 is mounted to, antenna 116, userinterface 120, and/or the user attempting to lock or unlock lock 110.

When receiver 104 receives the one or more communication signals fromtransceiver 114 indicating lock 110 has been unlocked, either receiver104 or camera 106 sends an alert signal to monitoring module 102indicating that lock 110 has been unlocked. Additionally, camera 106 isconfigured to stream the recorded images and/or video captured by camera106 to monitoring module 102. The monitoring module 102 may then recordthe images and/or video captured by camera 106 in a memory and/ordisplay the images and/or video on a display screen to be viewed bysecurity personnel. In some embodiments, upon being alerted that lock110 has been unlocked, monitoring module 102 is configured to record thetime and date in the memory of the opening to create an audit trail forlock 110. In some embodiments, monitoring module 102 may use the imagesand/or video captured by camera 106 to perform image processing, suchas, facial recognition of the person unlocking lock 110. It is to beappreciated that image capturing device 106 and receiver 104 may becoupled to monitoring module 102 via a hardwired or wireless connection.

In one embodiment, system 100 is configured such that, when any attempt(whether the attempt is successful or unsuccessful) is made to changethe state of lock 110 (e.g., from a locked to an unlocked state or froman unlocked to a locked state) camera 106 records images and/or video oflock 110 (and the surrounding area of lock 110) and transmits therecorded images and/or video to monitoring module 102.

It is to be appreciated that, when the state of lock 110 has beenchanged, controller 108 may be configured to transmit a notificationsignal to any device in communication with transceiver 114 or a networktransceiver 114 is coupled to. For example, the controller 108 may senda notification signal to a smart phone, smart watch, laptop, desktop, orany other type of computing device. Controller 108 may send anotification signal to an Internet connected or IoT device. Controller108 may send the notification to a security or alarm system.

In one embodiment, controller 108 may be configured to control multiplelocks, such that a user may lock or unlock multiple locks simultaneouslywhen lock 110 is unlocked. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, controller108 is further coupled to one or more satellite locks 112 via connectorports 210. Connector ports 210 may be coupled to the one or moresatellite locks 112 via one or more splitter and connector cables. Inone embodiment, satellite locks 112 are configured as electronic lockscontrollable by controller 108. Each satellite lock 112 may beconfigured to only include components necessary for locking andunlocking the respective satellite lock 112 responsive to controlsignals received from controller 108. In this embodiment, when a userrequest to lock or unlock locks 110, 112 is received by controller 108(e.g., via antenna 116, transceiver 114, or user interface 120),controller 108 is configured to simultaneously unlock each of satellitelocks 112. In the manner described above, simultaneously with unlockingeach of locks 110, 112, controller 108 is configured to send one or morecommunication signals to camera 106 (or any other device) viatransceiver 114 and receiver 104 indicating the locks 110, 112 have beenunlocked and causing camera 106 to capture one or more images and/or avideo stream of locks 110, 112.

In one embodiment, controller 108 is coupled to each of satellite locks112 in parallel or separately. In this embodiment, controller 108 isconfigured to simultaneously send control signals to each of satellitelocks 112 in parallel for locking and unlocking satellite locks 112.

In another embodiment, satellite locks 112 are coupled to controller 108in a daisy-chain arrangement (i.e., serially). In this embodiment, afirst satellite lock 112 is coupled to controller 108 and eachadditional satellite lock 112 is coupled serially to the first satellitelock. In this arrangement, when controller 108 send a control signal tothe first satellite lock 112 to lock or unlock satellite lock 112, eachsubsequent satellite lock 112 is configured to retransmit the controlsignal to the next satellite lock 112, such that the state of eachsatellite lock 112 in the chain is changed in accordance with thecontrol signal. In this way, controller 108 need not be separatelyconnected to each satellite lock 112 to control each satellite lock 112.

It is to be appreciated that, whether satellite locks 112 are coupled tocontroller 108 in parallel or serially, controller 108 may be configuredto control each of satellite locks 112 such that the state of each ofsatellite locks 112 mirrors the state of lock 110 (i.e., each ofsatellite locks 112 are locked or unlocked when lock 110 is locked orunlocked). Controller 108 may additionally be configured to control eachof satellite locks 112 separately (i.e., each of satellite locks 112 maybe locked or unlocked separately by controller 108 regardless of thestate of lock 110 or any other satellite lock 112).

In some embodiments, controller 108 may be configured with groupprogramming rules. For example, when a first user control device isused, controller 108 is configured to unlock or lock a first subset oflocks 110, 112 in accordance with the security clearance allotted to thefirst user control device. When a second user control device is used,controller 108 is configured to unlock or lock a second subset of locks110, 112 in accordance with the security clearance allotted to thesecond user control device. It is to be appreciated that the securityclearance of each user device may be saved in memory 118 to bereferenced by controller 108 in assessing which subset of locks 110, 112is to be locked or unlocked.

In some embodiments, controller 108 may be configured to employconditions that need to be met to enable certain user control devices tolock or unlock one or more locks 110, 112. For example, controller 108may be configured such that when a first user control device is used,the first user control device is only enabled to lock or unlock the lock110, 112 during a certain time and/or on a specific day. In thisembodiment, if any attempt is made by the first user control device tolock or unlock the locks 110, 112 that do not meet the predeterminedconditions (e.g., time and/or day), controller 108 is configured toreject any attempt by the first user control device to lock or unlocklocks 110, 112.

Controller 108 may be configured with any one of several securityfeatures described below.

In one embodiment, if the power to lock 110 is lost (e.g., the batteriescannot provide power, or another electrical failure of one of thecomponents of lock 110 is causing a power loss, etc.), controller 108 isconfigured to maintain lock 110 in a locked state (i.e., where securingmember 208 is engaging receptacle 214) until the power to lock 110 isrestored. In another embodiment, if the power to lock 110 is lost,controller 108 is configured to maintain lock 110 in an unlocked state(i.e., where securing member 208 is not engaging receptacle 214) untilthe power to lock 110 is restored. In some embodiments, lock 110 mayinclude a selection means (e.g., a physical button, such as a toggle, orany other selection means) configured to enable a user select howcontroller 108 responds to lock 110 losing power. The selection meansenables the user to select for controller 108 to maintain lock 110 in alocked state if power to lock 110 is lost or for controller 108 tomaintain lock 110 in an unlocked state if power to lock 110 is lost. Asdescribed above, in some embodiments, lock 110 may be coupled to second(e.g., backup) power source for operating lock 110 when power cannot beprovided from power source 213.

In another embodiment, also includes an alarm module 212. The alarmmodule 212 may be configured as a speaker controllable by controller 108to make an audible alarm sound under different conditions. Alarm module212 may be one or more lights (e.g., LEDs) controllable by controller108 to illuminate (e.g., in a pulsing or other manner) under differentconditions. It is to be appreciated that alarm module may include anymeans for alerting surrounding users of an alarm condition.

For example, in one embodiment, controller 108 is configured todetermine if the batteries powering lock 112 are below a predeterminedpower threshold. In this embodiment, if controller 108 determines thebatteries are below a predetermined power threshold, controller 108 isconfigured to cause alarm module 212 to output an audible alert or alarmsound.

In another embodiment, controller 108 is configured to determine if anyof locks 110, 112 is being forced open without receiving a communicationsignal from controller 108. In this embodiment, a sensor may be includedin securing member 208, receptacle 214, or between securing member 208and receptacle 214. The sensor is configured to sense when securingmember 208 is engaging receptacle 214 or not and send communicationsignals to controller 108 indicating whether securing member 208 isengaging receptacle 214. If controller 108 receives a signal from thesensor that the securing member 208 is not engaging the receptacle 214(i.e., the lock has been opened) and controller 108 has not causedsecuring member 208 to disengage receptacle 214, controller 108 isconfigured to cause alarm module 212 to generate an alarm sound.

In another embodiment, a sensor may be disposed on a door, drawer, orother portion of a structure lock 110 or satellite lock 112 is mountedto. The sensor is configured to sense whether the door, window, drawer,etc., is in an open or closed state and send a signal indicative of theopen or closed state of the door, window or drawer to controller 108. Ifcontroller 108 receives a signal indicating that the door, window, ordrawer has been opened and controller 108 has not caused the lock 110 orsatellite lock 112 mounted to the door, window, or drawer to beunlocked, controller 108 is configured to cause alarm module 212 togenerate an alarm sound or illuminate one or more lights.

In one embodiment, if controller 108 determines that the door, window,drawer, etc., that lock 110 or satellite lock 112 is mounted to has beencontinuously open for a predetermined amount of time, controller 108 isconfigured to cause alarm module 212 to generate an alarm sound. It isto be appreciated that this predetermined time is adjustable and may beselected and programmed into controller 108 as desired.

In any of the above embodiments where controller 108 causes alarm module212 to generate an alarm sound, controller 108 may also be configured tosend a communication signal to receiver 104 via transceiver 114 to causecamera 106 to capture one or more images of lock 110 and/or satellitelocks 112.

In some embodiments, if controller 108 determines that locks 110 and/orsatellite locks 112 have been in an unlocked state continuously for apredetermined amount of time, controller 108 is configured toautomatically lock locks 110 and/or satellite locks 112. In oneembodiment, the securing member 208 of each of locks 110, 112 isconfigured as a spring-loaded latch. The spring-loaded latches areconfigured such that even if the locks 110, 112 are locked while thedoors, windows, or drawers the locks 110, 12 are mounted to are open(i.e., receptacle 214 is not being engaged by securing member 208), thedoors, windows, or drawers may still be closed such that spring-loadedlatch engages the receptacle 214 to secure the doors, windows, ordrawers into a closed state.

In some embodiments, controller 108 is configured to lock or unlocklocks 110, 112 in response to communication signals received viatransceiver 114 from receiver 104. The signals may be generated frommonitoring module 102 or camera 106. In some embodiments, the system 100may include an application stored on a user device (such as smart phone,laptop, desktop, etc.) In this embodiment, the application is configuredto store authentication information required to unlock or lock locks110, 112. The application is further configured to enable a user to lockor unlock locks 110, 112 by sending communication signals including theauthentication information to monitoring module 102 (e.g., via a wiredor wireless communication network). In response to the receivedauthentication information, monitoring module 102 is configured to causereceiver 104 to send the authentication information to controller 108 tolocks or unlock 110, 112. It is to be appreciated that any informationstored on the application and shared between the application, themonitoring module 102, receiver 104, camera 106, and controller 108 isencrypted to ensure security against unauthorized parties obtainingauthentication information used to lock and unlock locks 110, 112.

As will be described in greater detail below, in some embodiments,camera 106 is configured to capture images and/or video of a pluralityof locks 110, 112 in system 100. In this embodiment, camera 106 may beconfigured to swivel to alter the orientation of the lens of camera 106to capture images and/or video of any one of the locks 110, 112 insystem 100 at a given time.

As described above, locks 110, 112 may be mounted to any structure, suchas, but not limited to, a door, display window, drawer, etc., such that,system 100 may be used to monitor and surveille the structureautomatically when locks 110, 112 is locked or unlocked. For example,referring to FIG. 2, an environment 200 including locks 110, 112 mountedto a structure 202 is shown in accordance with the present disclosure.Structure 202 may be a cabinet, or any other structure, including one ormore drawers, doors, or display windows. Locks 110, 112 may each bemounted to a separate drawer, door, or display window, etc. of structure202 to secure the drawers, doors, or display windows of structure 202 ina closed state when locks 110, 112 are locked. Locks 110, 112, may bedisposed internally or externally to structure 202.

In use, a user may place a user control device 203 (e.g., an RFID card,smart phone, smart watch, etc.) proximately to antenna 116 or antenna115 (disposed in control module 109) and/or provide one or more userinputs (e.g., key pad entries, fingerprints, etc.) to user interface 120to cause controller 108 to unlock locks 110 and 112. When locks 110, 112are unlocked, securing members of locks 110, 112, e.g., a plunger,latch, hook, etc. disengages a receptacle 214 of structure 202 to enablethe door, drawer, display window, etc. to be opened. Simultaneously withlocks 110 and 112 being unlocked, controller 108 is configured to sendone or more communication signals to camera 106 via transceiver 114 andreceiver 104 to cause camera 106 to capture or record one or more imagesand/or a video of structure 202 and locks 110, 112.

In some embodiments, lock 110 may be configured as a hybrid electronicmechanical lock, such that lock 110 may be locked or unlocked eitherelectronically (i.e., via controller 108 controlling motor 206) ormechanically (i.e., using a physical key). For example, referring toFIG. 3, lock 110 is shown including a core or cylinder 216. It is to beappreciated that, in one embodiment, core 216 is configured as aninterchangeable core. Core 216 is coupled to the securing means 208 andconfigured to receive a suitable key through a keyway of the core 216.When the key is inserted into the keyway of core 216 and turned, core216 controls the interaction of securing member 208 with receptacle 214to lock or unlock lock 110. In one embodiment, controller 108 isconfigured to sense or detect if the state of lock 110 has been changedfrom a locked state to an unlocked state or from an unlocked state to alocked state (e.g., by way of a contact sensor coupled to securingmember 208 or receptacle 214, or other sensing means). In thisembodiment, when the state of lock 110 is changed mechanically using akey and core 216, controller 108 is configured to send one or morecommunication signals to camera 106 via transceiver 114 and receiver 104to cause camera 106 to capture one or more images and/or a video of lock110.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, system 100 may beconfigured for use with a mechanical lock for automated surveillance.For example, referring to FIG. 4, an environment 300 including amechanical lock 302 mounted to structure 202 is shown in accordance withthe present disclosure. Mechanical lock 302 includes a core or cylinder303 including a keyway 304. In this embodiment, mechanical lock 302 doesnot include any electrical parts. Instead, mechanical lock 302integrates with system 100 via a key fob or apparatus 306. As will bedescribed in greater detail below, key fob 306 is an apparatus thatincludes both means for mechanically opening a mechanical lock and meansfor communicating wirelessly with at least one other device, such as,but not limited to image capturing device 106. Key fob 306 is configuredto transmit one or more communication signals to receiver 104 and camera106 when key fob 306 is inserted into keyway 304. In this way, when thestate of lock 302 is changed via key fob 306, camera 106 is configuredto record one or more images and/or a video of structure 202 andmechanical lock 302 in response to the communications signals receivedfrom key fob 306. It is to be appreciated that key fob 306 may also beused with the hybrid electrical-mechanical lock shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, key fob 306 is shown in greater detail. Asshown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, key fob 306 includes a bow or handle portion308 and a blade or shaft portion 310. The handle portion 308 includes anembedded transceiver circuit 312 that is coupled to a microswitch 314 orother means for triggering transceiver circuit 312. The shaft portion310 includes a first end 318 (e.g., a base portion) and a second end 320(e.g., a tip portion) and a plurality of key cuts 322 extending from thesecond end 320 to the first end 318.

In one embodiment, the microswitch 314 is coupled to the first end 318of the shaft portion 310. Microswitch 314 is configured to bedepressible in a direction A (indicated in FIG. 5A), such that whenmicroswitch 314 is depressed in the direction A, a signal is sent to thetransceiver circuit 312. Responsive to the signal sent from microswitch314 to transceiver circuit 312, transceiver circuit 312 is configured tosend one or more communication signals to camera 106 (or any otherdevice) via receiver 104 indicating that an attempt to change the stateof lock 302 is about to occur. Responsive to the one or morecommunications signals received from transceiver circuit 312, camera 106is configured to record one or more images and/or a video of structure202 and lock 302. In one embodiment, microswitch 314 includes a beveledsurface 316 configured to cause microswitch 316 to become depressed whenshaft portion 310 is inserted into keyway 304 of core 303 andmicroswitch 314 contacts a portion of the keyway 304. In this way,whenever shaft portion 310 of key fob 306 is inserted into key way 304,camera 106 records one or more images and/or video of structure 202 andlock 302.

In another embodiment, microswitch 314 is mounted to portion 308 of keyfob 306. For example, referring to FIG. 5C, microswitch 314 is shownmounted to portion 308, such that microswitch 314 extends from portion308 in the same direction as shaft 310. In this embodiment, microswitch314 is depressible in a direction B. When shaft portion 310 is insertedinto keyway 304 of core 303, microswitch 314 contacts a portion of lock302 disposed proximately to keyway 304 (e.g., a surface of core 303 oranother surface of lock 302). In this way, when microswitch 314 isdepressed in a direction B, a signal is sent to camera 106 as describedabove to cause camera 106 to record one or more images and/or video ofstructure 202 and lock 302.

It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments, microswitch 314 maybe replaced by other means for triggering transceiver circuit 312 tosend one or more communications signals when key fob 306 is used to lockor unlock lock 302. For example, in place of microswitch 314 a sensor,actuator, or other triggering component or means may be used, where thesensor, actuator, or other means is configured to sense when key fob 306has been used to lock or unlock lock 302. The triggering component fortriggering transceiver circuit 312 may be disposed at any location ofportion 308.

It is to be appreciated that key fob 306 is configured to enableexisting mechanical lock and key configurations to be implemented withsystem 100. For example, the handle portion 308 of key fob 306,including transceiver circuit 312 and microswitch 314, may be configuredto receive a key head or handle (e.g., a flat head or any other type ofgeometry for the head of the mechanical key) of any type of mechanicalkey, such that the key head is embedded within the handle portion 308 ofkey fob 306 and the shaft of the mechanical key is the shaft portion 310of key fob 306. It is to be appreciated that the interior of handleportion 308 may be configured with means to secure the varyinggeometries (e.g., flat head or any other shape, dimension, or geometry)of any key head or handle portion of a mechanical key. In this way, anymechanical key for any mechanical lock may be adapted as a key fob 306such that the mechanical lock may be implemented in the automatednotification and surveillance system of the present disclosure.

For example, referring to FIG. 5D, an exploded perspective view of keyfog 306 is shown in accordance with the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 3, handle portion 308 includes a first portion 308A and a secondportion 308B. Portion 308A includes an interior 324, where transceivercircuit 312 is shown disposed in interior 324 and coupled to microswitch314. Portion 308B is configured as a lid. When portion 308B is removedor disconnected from portion 308A, interior 324 is configured to receivethe key head 332 of a key 330. As shown in FIG. 5D, portion 308Aincludes a shaft slot 326 to receive a portion of shaft 310 disposedproximately to end 318 to enable key head 332 to be received by interior324 and shaft 310 to extend from interior 324 through slot 326. Afterkey head 332 has been received by interior 324, portion 308B is coupledto portion 308A to enclose or embed key head 332 in interior 324.

In one embodiment, key fob 306 may include an adapter 340 configured toreceive key head 332, such that key head 332 is embedded in interior324. Adapter 340 is shaped to securely fit within interior 324 to reducethe movement of key head 332 within interior 324. Adapter 340 isconfigured to enable key heads with various geometries to be received byinterior 324 to be used with key fob 306. In one embodiment, one or moresecuring members (e.g., brackets) are coupled to the interior 324 forreceiving adaptor 340 and securing adaptor 340 to interior 324.

Referring to FIG. 5E, in another embodiment, interior 324 of handleportion 308A may be configured to receive head 332 of key 330 withoutthe usage of an adaptor. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5E, theinterior 324 is configured in a geometrical shape for receiving head 332of key 330. For example, in one embodiment, interior 324 is configuredas a key-head slot having a substantially similar shape to head 332 oflock 330. In this way, head 332 is securely received by interior 324 toretain head 332.

In one embodiment, key fob 306 includes a chip or communication module,such as, but not limited to, an RFID/NFC chip or other communicationmeans, for interacting with antennas 115, 116. In this way, key fob 306may be used with either the electrical lock 110 shown in FIG. 3A, thehybrid electrical mechanical lock 110 shown in FIG. 3B, and/or themechanical lock 302 shown in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, handle 308 ofkey fob 306 may include communication means for sending communicationsignals to receiver 104 and/or monitoring module 102 when key fob 306 isdisposed remotely to the area where any of the locks 110, 112 shown inFIGS. 1, 2, and 3 of the present disclosure are disposed. Thecommunication means may be implemented in transceiver circuit 312 or maybe separate from transceiver circuit 312. Furthermore, the communicationmeans is configured for longer range communication than WiFi, NFC, RFID,BLE, or other shorter range communication technologies allow for. Forexample, the communication means may be configured to use a cellulardata network or other longer range network for sending and receivingcommunication signals. Additionally, the key fob 306 may include abutton or other means for activating the communication means. In thisway, when a user is at distances where shorter range communicationtechnologies are not possible to use and the key fob 306 cannot be usedto open any of the locks of the present disclosure, the button of thekey fob 306 may be depressed to send a signal from the communicationmeans to camera 106 (or any other device) and receiver 104 and then tocontroller 108 to lock or unlock locks 110, 112.

In one embodiment, where key fob 306 is used to open more than one lock302, an RFID or NFC tag may be mounted to a portion of lock 302,structure 202 (e.g., behind a drawer face or cabinet door), or inanother location proximately to lock 302 and/or structure 302, such thatthe transceiver circuit 312 (or other communication means of key fob206, such as an RFID chip or reader) interacts with the RFID or NFC tagwhen the key fob 306 is brought in close proximity to the lock 302. TheRFID or NFC tag includes a unique identifier or code associated with thelock 302 that key fob 306 is being used to unlock. When key fob 306 isused to unlock the lock 302 and microswitch 314 is depressed, the uniqueidentifier or code on the RFID or NFC tag is read or interrogated by thetransceiver circuit 312 and transmitted in the communication signalssent to receiver 104. In this way, the lock 302 can be uniquelyidentified by the system 100. The unique identifier is then providedfrom camera 106 to monitoring module 102, where it is saved along withthe time and date the lock was opened, images and or video of the lock302 captured by camera 106, and any other information gathered bymonitoring module 102 with respect to lock 302. In this way, an audittrail for lock 302 is generated and maintained by monitoring module 102for use by security personnel and other interested parties.

Although RFID and/or NFC tags are described as being used with key fob306 above, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, othercommunication means may be employed. For example, referring to FIG. 5F,key fob 306 is shown being used with a structure 202 including a tag550, where key fob 306 and tag 550 are configured to communicate usingRF communication signals with longer range than RFID. It is to beappreciated that any RF communication protocol or other wirelesscommunication means may be used with communication ranges longer thanRFID.

As shown in FIG. 5F, lock 302 and tag 550 may be coupled to a portion ofstructure 202. For example, lock 302 may be mounted to a door, drawerface, or other means of accessing structure 202. Tag 550 may be mountedbehind the means for accessing structure 202 (e.g., behind a drawerface) or, alternatively be disposed in another location of orproximately to structure 202 and/or lock 302.

Tag 550 includes transceiver 552, microcontroller 554, and battery 556.In this embodiment, within handle portion 308 of key fob 306,transceiver 312, battery 316, and LED 321 are included. Transceivers 312and 552 are each configured for RF communication, however, othercommunication frequencies are considered to be within the scope of thepresent disclosure. In one embodiment, transceivers 312, 552 areconfigured send/receive RF signals at 915 MHz and are each configuredwith a communication range in excess of 100 feet. In one embodiment,transceivers 312, 552 and the transceiver in receiver 104 are eachconfigured in the same manner (e.g., being equivalent components) tofacilitate communication between transceivers 312, 552 and receiver 104.

In one embodiment, batteries 316 and 556 are each configured asrechargeable batteries chargeable via respective charging ports (notshown). In some embodiments, batteries 316, 556 may be configured to becharged wirelessly (e.g., using a wireless charging pad that batteries316, 556 may be placed in close proximity to). Battery 316 is configuredto power transceiver 312 and any other electronic components included inkey fob 306. Battery 556 is configured to power transceiver 552,microcontroller 554, and any other electronic components included in tag550.

Microcontroller 554 is configured to control the operation oftransceiver 552 and any other components of tag 550. Furthermore,microcontroller 554 (or a memory coupled to microcontroller 554) isconfigured to store information related to structure 202, tag 550 and/orlock 302, such as, but not limited to, an ID number associated with lock302 and the battery level of battery 556.

In use, without receiving any communication signals from transceiver312, tag 550 is configured to be in a sleep mode where the othercomponents (e.g., transceiver 552, microcontroller 554) of tag 550 drawminimal current from battery 556. When transceiver 552 receives acommunication signal from transceiver 312, tag 550 exits sleep mode andis in an active state such that the components of tag 550 draw therequisite amount of current from battery 556 to operate normally.Similarly, when microswitch 314 of key fob 306 is not in a depressedstate, transceiver 312 (and any other components of key fob 306) isconfigured to be in a sleep mode where transceiver 312 draws minimalcurrent from battery 316. When microswitch 314 is in a depressed state,key fob 306 exits sleep mode and is in an active state such that thecomponents of key fob 306 draw the requisite amount of current frombattery 316 to operate normally. It is to be appreciated that, in someembodiments, the transmission range of transceiver 312 and/ortransceiver 552 may be limited or selected based on the distance between550, such that when a first tag 550 is awakened or activated (i.e.,exits sleep mode), other tags 550 in close proximity to the first tag550 are not awakened or activated by communication signals exchangedbetween the first tag 550 and key fob 306.

Referring to FIG. 5G, when shaft 310 is inserted through a keyway intocore 303 and microswitch 314 is depressed, transceiver 312 isautomatically activated and sends a communication signal (e.g.,indicative of an event occurring with respect to lock 302) totransceiver 552. Responsive to the signal received from transceiver 312,transceiver 552 is configured to cause tag 550 to wake up or beactivated and microcontroller 554 is configured to send, via transceiver552, information stored in microcontroller 554 or a memory of tag 550.The information may include an ID number associated with tag 550 or lock302, the state of battery 556 (e.g., in the form of a percentage level),and the status of lock 302 (e.g., locking/closing or unlocking/opening).Responsive to the information received from transceiver 552, transceiver312 is configured to send the received information along with additionalinformation associated to key fob 306 to receiver 104. The additionalinformation associated with key fob 302 may include an ID numberassociated with key fob 306 and the state of battery 316 (e.g., in theform of a percentage level). When shaft 310 is removed from the keywayand microswitch 314 is no longer in the depressed state, transceiver 312sends a second communication signal (e.g., indicative of an eventoccurring with respect to lock 302) to receiver 104, the secondcommunication signal may include information associated with key fob 302and/or tag 550.

It is to be appreciated that, with respect to the opening or closingstatus information of lock 302 communicated to transceiver 312 bytransceiver 552, microcontroller 554 is configured to determine thestatus of lock 302 in a variety of ways. For example, lock 302 may be afirst type of lock that is configured to only enable a shaft or blade310 to be withdrawn from core 303 of lock 302 when lock 302 is in alocked state. Where lock 302 is the first type of lock, when microswitch314 is depressed and transceiver 552 receives a communication signalfrom transceiver 312 activating tag 550, microcontroller 554 assumeslock 302 is being opened or unlocked and communicates this status totransceiver 312 via transceiver 552. As described above, this statusinformation is further sent by transceiver 312 to receiver 104. In thisscenario, when shaft 310 is removed from core 303 and microswitch 314 isno longer in the depressed state, transceiver 312 is configured to sendanother communication signal to receiver 104 including statusinformation that lock 302 is/has been locked or closed.

Alternatively, lock 302 may be a second type of lock that is configuredto enable shaft 310 to be withdrawn from core 303 when lock 302 is in alocked state or when lock 302 is in an unlocked state. Where lock 302 isthe second type of lock, lock 302 may include a sensor configured todetermine the state of lock 302. In a first embodiment, the sensor maybe in communication with transceiver 552 of tag 550. In the firstembodiment, when shaft 310 is inserted into core 303 and microswitch 314is depressed causing tag 550 to activate, microcontroller 554 queriesthe sensor via transceiver 552 for the state of lock 302. Responsive tothe query, the sensor in lock 302 is configured to provide the state oflock 302 to microcontroller 554 via transceiver 552. The stateinformation is then provided to transceiver 312 along with the otherinformation included in tag 550 described above. When shaft 310 iswithdrawn from core 303, transceiver 312 is configured to sendmicrocontroller 554 a communication signal via transceiver 552 to causemicrocontroller 554 to query the sensor of lock 302 for the status oflock 302. After microcontroller 554 receives the status information fromthe sensor, the status information is provided via transceiver 552 totransceiver 312, where it is further provided to receiver 104.

In a second embodiment, the sensor of lock 302 may be in communicationwith transceiver 312 or another electrical component of key fob 306. Inthe second embodiment, when shaft 310 is inserted into core 303 andmicroswitch 314 is depressed, transceiver 312 (or another component ofkey fob 306) queries the sensor of lock 302 for the state of lock 302.Responsive to the query, the sensor in lock 302 is configured to providethe state of lock 302 to transceiver 312. The state information is thenprovided to receiver 104 along with the other information describedabove (e.g., the ID of lock 302, the battery statuses of batteries 556,316, etc.) When shaft 310 is withdrawn from core 303 and microswitch 314is no longer being depressed, transceiver 312 queries the sensor of lock302 again for the status of lock 302. Responsive the query, the sensorof lock 302 is configured to provide the state of lock 302 totransceiver 312, which is further provided to receiver 104.

In any case, receiver 104 receives communications including informationassociated with lock 302 and key fob 306 (e.g., ID numbers, lock status,and battery statuses) from transceiver 312 both when shaft 310 isinserted into core 303 and microswitch 314 is depressed and when shaft310 is withdrawn from core 303 and microswitch 314 is no longer beingdepressed. Receiver 104 includes a processor (not shown) for processingreceived data and controlling the functions of receiver 104 and atransceiver (not shown) for communicating with transceiver 312 and otherdevices within communication range. The transceiver 312 may beconfigured to send/receive signals at 915 MHz with a communication rangein excess of 100 feet. In one embodiment receiver 104 may be disposed inor on the ceiling, wall, floor, or other surface of the facility orlocation that structure 202 is disposed in. The receiver 104 may bepowered via a low voltage power supply.

The information received by receiver 104 from transceiver 312 isprocessed. The information is then extracted by an interface 502, whichcouples receiver 104 to camera 106 and monitoring module 102. Interface502 is an input/output device configured to facilitate communicationbetween receiver 104 and camera 106. In one embodiment, interface 502may be integrated with receiver 104. It is to be appreciated thatinterface 502 is configured to enable key fob 306 to communicate with anexisting camera (or cameras) 106 within a facility via receiver 104,where camera(s) 106 may be analog and/or IP digital cameras. Responsiveto receiving the information from transceiver 312, receiver 104 isconfigured to activate camera 106 to cause camera 106 to record one ormore images and/or video of lock 302 (in the manner described above) tocapture the locking/unlocking event occurring with respect to lock 302.The information extracted by interface 502 is provided as a string byreceiver 104 via interface 502 to camera 106, monitoring module 102and/or any other relevant or desired entity (e.g., a computing device,such as, a PC, or any other peripheral device, such as, a mobile phone).The string may take the following form [Lock Status]-[Lock ID]-[TagBattery Level]-[Key Fob ID]-[Key Fob Battery Level]. It is to beappreciated the receiver 104/interface 502 may send any informationreceived from a key fob 306 to another device via a hardwired connection(e.g., a serial port) or alternatively via a wireless connection (e.g.,Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.).

It is to be appreciated that, each tag 550 is paired with a specificlock 302, where the pairing is identified by the lock ID stored in tag550. In this way, in one embodiment, when receiver 104 receives the lockID in a string from transceiver 312 of key fob 306, receiver 104 isconfigured to send an activation signal to an appropriate camera 106(e.g., having a field of view including the lock 302 matching thereceived lock ID) based on the lock ID received.

The images and/or video recorded by camera 106 are provided tomonitoring module 102, which includes a video management systemassociated with camera 106 for storing data (e.g., images and/or video)received from camera 106 and controlling camera 106. The videomanagement system may include one or more displays. When the imagesand/or video recorded by camera 106 are provided to the video managementsystem, the images and/or video recorded by camera 106 are displayed onat least one of the displays along with a data and time stamp (e.g.,received from receiver 104 or camera module 106).

Monitoring module 102 may further include (e.g., as part of the videomanagement system or otherwise) various software and/or functions foranalyzing the information received from key fob 306 and the imagesand/or video recorded by camera 106. For example, monitoring module 102is configured to use the information and image/video associated withlock 302 and key fob 306 to create an audit trail of relevant events(e.g., locking and unlocking) associated with locks 302 within system100. The audit trail includes the images and/or video recorded by camera106, the information received by receiver 104 associated with lock 302and key fob 306, and the time, date, and location (e.g., the locklocation) of each captured event. Each time an update or addition ismade to the audit trail, a notification may be sent via monitoringmodule 102 to user computing device (e.g., a mobile phone or computer).The notification may be in the form of an email, text message, pop-upalert, or any other type of notification.

Monitoring module 102 may be configured to provide data and trendanalytics for use by loss prevention, security personnel, or otherrelevant entities. The data and trend analytics may be generated basedon information provided by key fob 306 and the images and/or video thatcamera 106 records. It is to be appreciated that in addition to theimages and/or video captured by camera 106 of structure 202 and lock 302responsive to signals from key fob 306, camera 106 also records imagesand/or video of daily activity within its field of view. This dailyactivity recorded in addition to other information gathered bymonitoring module 102 may be used by monitoring module 102 to generatedata and trend analytics including, but is not limited to, heat mapping(e.g., a mapping via infra-red of population densities in a given areaindicating where people congregate within the given area), line queuing(e.g., information related to how long checkout or other lines of peopleare), people counting, and/or path direction (e.g., the directionspeople travel within an observed area).

Referring again to FIG. 5F, in one embodiment, housing 308 includes anaperture through which an illuminating portion of LED 321 is visiblethrough. LED 321 is configured to illuminate in different colorsdepending on the functions being performed and/or the state of key fob306. For example, in one embodiment, LED 321 may be configured toilluminate in a first color when battery 316 is low and needs to berecharged. In another embodiment, LED 321 may be configured toilluminate in a second color to indicate that RF communication signaltransmission by transceiver 312 is occurring without errors. In anotherembodiment, LED 321 may be configured to illuminate in a third colorwhen microswitch 314 is depressed. It is to be appreciated that LED 321may be configured to illuminate (and/or turn on and off at apredetermined period) to indicate any function or state of key fob 306in accordance with the present disclosure.

It is to be appreciated that battery 316 is configured to conserve powerwhere possible. In one embodiment, battery 316 is configured toautomatically turn off and stop supplying power to the other electricalcomponents of key fob 306 if microswitch 314 has been depressedcontinuously for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 3 seconds).

Referring to FIG. 5H, in one embodiment, key fob 306 may further includea biometric sensor 317 and an actuator 319 disposed in housing portion308.

Biometric sensor 317 is configured to acquire a biometric identifierfrom a user and compare the acquired biometric identifier to a referencebiometric identifier stored in a memory (e.g., of sensor 317 or aseparate memory of key fob 306) to determine if a match between theacquired biometric identifier and the reference biometric identifier ispresent. For example, biometric sensor 317 may be a fingerprint sensorconfigured to sense if the fingerprint of a user and determine if thefingerprint of the user matches a reference fingerprint stored inmemory. It is to be appreciated that biometric sensor 317 may berepresent any type of biometric sensor, such as, but not limited to,fingerprint sensors, iris sensors, voice recognition sensors, etc.

Actuator 319 may be any actuation means for extending and retractingshaft 310. Actuator 319 is coupled to shaft 310 and is configured toextend or retract shaft 310 based on if the biometric sensor 317 detectsa match between an acquired biometric identifier and the referencebiometric identifier. In one embodiment, shaft 310 is initially in aretracted state, where a portion of shaft 310 is retracted into theinterior of housing 308. To use key fob 306 to operate (i.e., lock orunlock) a lock 302, a user's biometric identifier is read by biometricsensor 317 and, if a match is detected by sensor 317, shaft 310 isextended by actuator 319 in a direction C away from housing 308 to anormal position. In the normal position, when shaft 310 is inserted intocore 303 of lock 302, the bits or key cuts of shaft 310 line up properlywith the internal components (e.g., tumblers) of core 303 and lock 302can be locked or unlocked. Alternatively, if a match is not detected bysensor 317, actuator 319 will not extend shaft 310 to a normal position.In the retracted state, if shaft 310 is inserted into core 303 of lock302, lock 302 cannot be locked or unlocked because the bits or key cutsof shaft 310 will not line up properly with the internal components ofcore 303.

In one embodiment, key fob 306 may include more than one biometricsensor 317 for acquiring different biometric identifiers from a user. Inthis embodiment, actuator 319 may be configured to require a match foreach different biometric identifier acquired by each biometric sensor317 to extend shaft 310 to a normal position.

In another embodiment, key fob 306 may include a means (e.g., a keypador other means) for receiving a code or pin from the user. In thisembodiment, actuator 306 is configured to only extend shaft 310 to anormal position if the correct code or pin is provided to the means forreceiving the code or pin.

It is to be appreciated that any authentication component or means(e.g., one or more biometric sensors 317, keypad, or any otherauthentication means) may be used to authenticate a user such thatactuator 319 extends shaft 310 to a normal position to enable a user tooperate lock 302.

In the embodiments of key fob 306 described above, transceiver 312 isconfigured such that, when microswitch 314 is depressed without shaft310 entering a keyway 304, a panic alert signal including the unique IDnumber associated with key fob 306 is sent by transceiver 312 to camera106 via receiver 104 and interface 502. Transceiver 312 is configured todetect the condition that microswitch 314 has been depressed withoutshaft 310 entering a keyway 304 by determining that no tag (e.g., anRFID tag or tag 550) has been sensed by transceiver 312 or othercommunication means (e.g., an RFID reader) of key fob 306 aftermicroswitch 314 is depressed. In some embodiments, in addition torequiring the condition that microswitch 314 has been depressed withoutshaft 310 entering a keyway 304, transceiver 312 may require furtherconditions to be triggered before sending a panic alert signal. Forexample, transceiver 312 may further require that microswitch 314 isdepressed or in a triggered state for a predetermined amount of time(e.g., 5 consecutive seconds) and/or that microswitch 314 has beendepressed or triggered in predetermined sequence (e.g., 3 timesconsecutively) to send a panic alert signal. The panic alert signal maybe provided by camera 106 or interface 502 to monitoring module 102 orany other relevant entity to alert the entity of a panic conditionwithin a monitored facility or area implementing the system of thepresent disclosure.

It is to be appreciated that in any of the embodiments described above,key fob 306 may include a microcontroller or processor for controllingeach of the components of key fob 306. In embodiment, transceivercircuit 312 may be integrated with the microcontroller.

In any of the embodiments of key fob 306 described above, key fob 306may include a tamper detection means (e.g., a sensor) configured todetect if key 330 is removed from key fob 306. For example, the tamperdetection means may be a proximity sensor or switch that detects if aportion of key 330 is contained within housing or handle portion 308 ofkey fob 306. If a portion of key 330 is not contained within housing orhandle 308, the tamper detection means triggers transceiver 312 or aseparate communication module of key fob 306 to send a communicationsignal to at least one other device (e.g., loss prevention) indicativeof the removal of key 330 from key fob 306. In this way, loss preventionmay change the key required to open a lock for which the key from keyfob 306 has been removed from to prevent unauthorized individuals fromusing the removed key to operate an associated lock 302.

In one embodiment, key fob 306 may be modified for use with non-bittedapplications. For example, referring to FIG. 5I, another embodimentincluding a key-less or non-bitted implementation of key fob 306 isshown in accordance with the present disclosure. In this embodiment, keyfob 306 does not include a bitted key. Instead, key fob 306 includes atilt sensor 323, a vibration sensor 325, and a microcontroller 328. Tiltsensor 323 is configured to sense when housing 308 has been titled andvibration sensor 325 is configured to sense when housing 308 hasexperienced vibration. Microcontroller 328 is configured to control theelectrical components of key fob 306.

Key fob 306 may be coupled to or integrated into a security system in aplurality of ways. For example, housing 308 may be coupled to itemsenclosed within showcases or display cases (e.g., made of glass), doorsor entry means to a location, casino chip trays, and/or any other objector structure of interest. Housing 308 may be coupled to a surface anobject of interest is disposed on. Housing 308 may be integrated with anexisting access or security element of a system, such as a keypad forproviding access to a door or secured structure.

Microcontroller 328 is configured to cause transceiver 312 to send acommunication signal to receiver 104 if tilt sensor 323 senses a tilt ofhousing 308 or vibration sensor 325 senses a vibration of housing 308.The communication signal may include information associated with key fob306 (e.g., the unique ID number of key fob 306, battery level of battery316, the sensed data by sensors 323, 325, and/any other relevantinformation). This communication signal is provided to camera 106 andmonitoring module 102 via interface 502. Responsive the signal received,camera 106 is configured to record one or more images and/or video ofthe location that key fob 306 is disposed in. Furthermore, monitoringmodule 102 is configured to perform any of the functions described above(e.g., maintain an audit trail, perform analytics, etc.). In oneembodiment, monitoring module 102 sends a notification to another deviceor system (e.g., a mobile device, loss prevention, access control, amonitor coupled to camera 106, etc.) including the information obtainedby the sensors 323, 325, the ID number of key fob 306, and any otherrelevant information associated to key fob 306 and/or the structure orobject key fob 306 is coupled to or used with (e.g., the location of thestructure or object, images and/or video of the structure or object, thetime and date the tilt and/or vibration was sensed, etc.)

One or more of the locks 110, 112, 302, key fob 306, and tag 550discussed above may be disposed throughout an area and automaticallysurveilled by camera 106 when an attempt is made to change the state oflocks 110, 112, 302 using the lock system of the present disclosure. Asstated above, in some embodiments, camera 106 is configured to swivel toalter the orientation of the lens of camera 106 such that the lock orlocks being unlocked or locked and/or one or more key fobs 306, arewithin the field of view of camera 106. In this way, camera 106 isconfigured to automatically capture images and/or video of any one ofthe locks and/or key fobs 306 in an area using the above describedtechniques or any other techniques for communication with cameras, suchas camera 106. Furthermore, when the state of one or more locks ornon-bitted key fobs 306 within the system of the present disclosure hasbeen altered, a notification (e.g., email, text message, pop-up window,etc.) is automatically sent to relevant entities (e.g., securitypersonnel, loss prevention, and/or other interested user's) bymonitoring module 102 to alert the relevant entities of events (lockingand unlocking of locks and/or structures, tilting or vibratingnon-bitted key fob 306, etc.) occurring within a monitored facility orarea implementing the system of the present disclosure.

For example, referring to FIG. 6A, an area 400 is shown, where aplurality of structures 402, 404, 406, 408 are disposed throughout thearea 400. Each of the plurality of structures 402, 404, 406, 408includes one or more of the locks 110, 112, 302 and the necessarycomponents of system 100. When an attempt is made to change the state ofthe lock or locks mounted to structure 408, one or more cameras 106 areautomatically activated (i.e., via one or more communication signalssent via transceiver 114 or transceiver circuit 312) and configured tocapture images and/or video of structure 408. As shown in FIG. 6A,structure 408 is within the field of view (i.e., the area between lines410, 412) of the lens of camera 106.

Referring to FIG. 6B, if an attempt is made to change the state of anyof the locks mounted to structure 402, camera 106 is configured toautomatically determine that structure 402 is outside the field of viewof the lens of camera 106. If camera 106 determines that structure 402is outside the field of view of the lens of camera 106, camera 106 isconfigured to swivel (in a direction B, indicated in FIG. 6B) untilstructure 402 is within the field of view of the lens of camera 106before recording images and/or video of structure 402.

In some embodiments, where an attempt to change the state of two or morelocks is made substantially at the same time or within a predeterminedtime of each other, camera 106 is configured to automatically swivel andorient itself such that each of the structures is simultaneously withinthe field of view of camera 106. In this way, camera 106 is able tocapture images and/or video of two or more structures simultaneously.For example, referring to FIG. 6C, if an attempt is made to change thestate of each of the locks mounted to structures 406, 408 within apredetermined time of each other, camera 106 is configured toautomatically swivel and positions itself such that both of structures406, 408 are within the field of view of the lens of camera 106 beforerecording images and/or video of structure 402.

In one embodiment, camera 106 is configured to determine the positionswithin area 400 of the locks mounted to the structures 402, 404, 406,408 to implement the swiveling described above. Camera 106 may beconfigured to determine the positions of each of the locks in area 400in one or more ways. For example, in one embodiment, the positions ofeach of the locks in area 400 may be mapped when each of the locks isinstalled in area 400 and saved in a memory of camera 106 (or anexternal memory accessible by camera 106, such as, a memory included inmonitoring module 102). Each of the locks installed in area 400 includea unique identification code. When an attempt is made to change thestate of any one of the locks installed in area 400, either controller108 or transceiver circuit 312 of key fob 306 is configured to transmitthe identification code of the lock to camera 106. Camera 106 is thenconfigured to look up the unique identification code within the memoryto determine the position of a lock when an attempt is being made tolock or unlock the lock. Once the position is determined, camera 106 isconfigured to swivel and orient itself, such that the field of view ofthe lens of camera 106 includes the position of the lock.

In another embodiment, each of the locks 110, 112 and/or the transceivercircuit 312 includes a GPS tracking chip or any other locating ortracking means. The GPS tracking chip is configured to determine acurrent position of the GPS tracking chip. In this embodiment, when anattempt to change the state of any of the locks 110, 112, 302 is made,controller 108 and/or transceiver circuit 312 requests the currentposition from the GPS tracking chip in the lock and/or transceivercircuit 312 and transmits the current position of the GPS tracking chipto receiver 104 of camera 106. Camera 106 then uses the position (asdetermined by the GPS tracking chip) to swivel and orient itself, suchthat the field of view of the lens of camera 106 includes the positionof the lock that is currently being unlocked or locked.

It is to be appreciated that when the state of any of the locks 110,112, 302 is changed or non-bitted key fob 306 is tilted or vibratedwithin one or more areas 400 of system 100, notification orcommunication signals may be automatically sent to camera(s) 106,monitoring module 102, and to any other devices (e.g., smart phones,smart watches, desktops, laptops, IoT devices, etc.), or entities (e.g.,loss prevention located within the area 400, proximate to the area 400,or remotely from the area 400). The notification signals may by in theform of any type of communication, e.g., an email, text message, pop-upon a display screen, automated phone call, etc. The notification signalsmay alert these devices and/or entities that the state of one or morelocks or a non-bitted key fob 306 within system 100 have been changed.For example, where the notification signals are received by monitoringmodule 102, a notification may be displayed on one or more displays orscreens of monitoring module 102 along with the one or more imagescaptured by cameras 106. In this way, personnel monitoring the displaysor screen are automatically alerted to a change of state of a lock ornon-bitted key fob 306 within the system 100. In this way, the personneldo not need to monitor an excessive number of screens andlocks/non-bitted key fob 306 to identify when the state of a lock hasbeen changed. It is to be appreciated that the notification signal mayinclude information about the lock or non-bitted key fob 306 whose statehas been altered (e.g., the identification number, the items secured bythe lock, the time and date the state was changed, etc.), the locationthe lock or non-bitted key fob 306 is disposed in, or any otherinformation available to the system 100 and relevant to a user receivingthe notification.

It is to be appreciated that the images and/or video captured by cameras106 within system 100 may further be automatically provided (e.g., bymonitoring module 102, receiver 104, transceiver 114, transceiver 312,or transceiver 552) to one or more user computing devices (e.g., smartphones, smart watches, tablets, desktops, laptops, etc.). In this way,the user device receives both a notification of which lock has beenlocked or unlocked or a non-bitted key fob 306 has been titled orvibrated along with image and or video information that can be displayedon the user's device.

In some embodiments, system 100 may be configured to implement rulesassociated with special items or assets being secured by locks 110, 112,302 within structures 202. For example, if a lock within system 100 issecuring a special item or asset (e.g., expensive jewelry, importantdocuments, dangerous substances, such as, chemicals or drugs),controller 108, transceiver circuit 312, and/or another component withinsystem 100 is configured to send the notification signals sent to camera106 and/or monitoring module 102 when the drawer/door/window has beenopened (as detected by sensor means described above) and/or the lockssecuring the drawer/door/window has been locked or unlocked indicatingthat the state of a lock securing a special item has been altered.System 100 may be configured to give priority to locks securing specialitems. For example, if camera 106 can only focus on one of multiplelocks whose state has been changed simultaneously (or within a verysmall time of each other), and one of those locks is securing a specialitem, camera 106 is configured to orient itself to capture images and orvideo of the lock and associated structure securing the special item.Furthermore, the notification sent and displayed in monitoring module102 associated with the lock securing the special item, may include aprompt or other notification indicating that the attention of thepersonnel should be focused on the lock and structure within system 100that is securing the special item.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an interface, such asinterface 502 is used to bridge unconnected security components insecurity and surveillance systems for preventing theft of assets.

For example, referring to FIG. 7A, an existing security and surveillancesystem 600 for preventing theft of assets (retail goods, pharmaceuticalitems, etc.) is shown in accordance with the present disclosure.Existing systems 600 typically include a detection means 601 fordetecting when an attempt to steal and asset occurs, e.g., one or moresensors at various points in a retail or other type of environment thatsense when an asset is being removed from the environment by anunauthorized person or without being purchased. If the detection means601 detects a potential theft, an alarm module 602 may be triggered. Thealarm module 602 may be configured to generate an alarm sound orotherwise alert security personnel as to a potential theft. Existingsystems 600 also may include one or more cameras 606 for surveilling anenvironment the assets are disposed in and a monitoring module 604,including one or more displays for displaying video streams captured bycameras 606 and storage means for storing the video streams.

A major disadvantage for existing systems 600 is that when a theft of anasset occurs and alarm module 602 is triggered, unless securitypersonnel by chance see (either by physical line of sight or by viewingthe displays in display module 604) the thief or assailant, the thiefcan escape the environment unidentified with the asset. Although videostreams saved by cameras may be analyzed after the theft has occurred toidentify the assailant, this is often too late to apprehend the thiefimmediately after the theft has occurred to prevent the asset from beingstolen.

Referring to FIG. 7B, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, aninterface 702 is introduced into the system 600 which connects thedetection means 601 and alarm module 602 to the monitoring module 604and camera 606. Referring to FIG. 7C, interface 702 includes a processoror controller 704 and a communication module 706. Communication module706 is configured to communicate with detection means 601, alarm module602, monitoring module 604 and camera 606 either via hardwired orwireless communication means.

Referring to FIGS. 7B, 7C, when the detection means 601 is triggered bya potential theft of an asset and alarm module 602 enters an alarmcondition, processor 704 receives data indicative of the alarm conditionfrom detection means 601 and/or alarm module 602 via communicationmodule 706. It is to be appreciated that the data may be analog and/ordigital data and interface 702 may include a data conversion module(e.g., having an A/D converter, etc.) for converting the data into areadable format for processor 704. The data received may further includeidentifying information relating to the asset or the detection means 601(e.g., an ID number associated with the asset or the detection means601, etc.) Responsive to the alarm condition, processor 704 sends (viacommunication module 706) one or more communication signals to camera706, to trigger camera 706 to capture one or more images and/or a videoof the area surrounding the detection means 601 and the protected assetthat an attempted theft has been detected for. Processor 704 is furtherconfigured to receive the captured images and/or video from camera 706and provide the captured images and/or video to monitoring module 704.In one embodiment, processor 704 sends a notification to monitoringmodule 604 causing a pop-up window to open on one of the displays, thepop-up window including the captured images and/or video and informationassociated with the asset and/or detection means 601 (e.g., which assetthe attempted theft is occurring for and which detection means 601within an environment has been triggered). In this way, securitypersonnel viewing the displays in monitoring module 604, can immediatelyidentify the thief attempting to steal the asset and prevent the thieffrom leaving the environment.

It is to be appreciated that processor 704 or communication module 706are configured to send communications signals to cameras 606 and/ormonitoring module 604 in the existing format that each of cameras 606and/or monitoring module 604 accept communication for. For example, ifcameras 606 are analog cameras, processor 704 or communication module706 are configured to convert any communication signals sent to cameras606 (to trigger cameras 606 to capture one or more images) to a suitableanalog format supported by cameras 606.

It is to be appreciated that the lock system 100, locks 110, 112, 302,key fob 306, and/or interface 702 may be tested and certified by and/orin compliance with any one of the Underwriters Laboratory, ConformitéEuropéenne (CE), the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive(RoHs), and/or the Federal Trade Commission (FCC).

It is to be appreciate that all communications sent by communicationdevices in the system of the present disclosure (e.g., transceiver 114,transceiver circuitry 312, receiver 104, etc.) is encrypted.Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that, in some embodiments, allcommunication signals sent by communication devices in the system of thepresent disclosure are sent outside of the standard network (e.g., Wi-Finetwork) within the facility or area that system is implemented in toincrease security.

It is to be appreciated that the various features shown and describedare interchangeable, that is a feature shown in one embodiment may beincorporated into another embodiment.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference tocertain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Furthermore, although the foregoing text sets forth a detaileddescription of numerous embodiments, it should be understood that thelegal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims setforth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to beconstrued as exemplary only and does not describe every possibleembodiment, as describing every possible embodiment would beimpractical, if not impossible. One could implement numerous alternateembodiments, using either current technology or technology developedafter the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within thescope of the claims.

It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined inthis patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘ ’ is herebydefined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent tolimit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication,beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not beinterpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in anysection of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To theextent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent isreferred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning,that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader,and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implicationor otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element isdefined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recitalof any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim elementbe interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixthparagraph.

What is claimed is:
 1. A key apparatus comprising: a housing having aninterior, the interior configured to receive a portion of a key for alock, the key having a shaft extending from the housing such that theshaft is insertable into a keyway of a lock; a transceiver; a triggeringcomponent coupled to the transceiver, the triggering componentconfigured to be triggered when the shaft is inserted into the keyway ofthe lock, wherein when the triggering component is triggered, thetransceiver is configured to send at least one communication signal toat least one device.
 2. The key apparatus of claim 1, wherein theportion of the key received by the housing includes a key head of thekey coupled to the shaft, and the housing is configured as a handle toturn the key when the shaft is inserted into the keyway.
 3. The keyapparatus of claim 2, further comprising an adaptor configured toreceive the key head, the adaptor configured to securely fit within theinterior of the housing.
 4. The key apparatus of claim 2, wherein theinterior of the housing is configured as a key head slot insubstantially the same shape as the key head.
 5. The key apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the triggering component includes a microswitch that isdepressed when the shaft is inserted into the keyway, the microswitchextending from a portion of the housing and configured to send a signalto the transceiver when depressed.
 6. The key apparatus of claim 1,wherein the at least one communication signal includes a locked orunlocked state of the lock.
 7. The key apparatus of claim 1, wherein theat least one communication signal includes an indication of an attemptto change the state of the lock.
 8. The key apparatus of claim 1,wherein the at least one device is a receiver coupled to a camera andthe at least one communication signal triggers the camera to capture atleast one image of the lock and/or the area surrounding the lock.
 9. Thekey apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the triggering component istriggered, the transceiver is configured to communicate with a tagdisposed proximately to the lock to obtain a unique identifier stored inthe tag, the unique identifier associated with the lock, the at leastone communication signal including the unique identifier associated withthe lock.
 10. The key apparatus of claim 9, wherein the transceiverreceives a battery status of a battery in the tag and the at least onecommunication signal includes the battery status of the battery in thetag.
 11. The key apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the shaft is removedfrom the keyway and the triggering component is no longer beingtriggered, the transceiver is configured to send at least one secondcommunication signal to the at least one device.
 12. The key apparatusof claim 1, further comprising a battery for powering the transceiverand the at least one communication signal includes a battery status ofthe battery.
 13. The key apparatus of claim 1, further comprising atleast one actuator and an authentication component configured toauthenticate a user using the key, wherein the shaft is initially in aretracted position with respect to the housing such that the key isprevented from operating the lock, the at least one actuator configuredto extend the shaft of the key with respect to the housing to enable thekey to operate the lock if the authentication component authenticatesthe user.
 14. The key apparatus of claim 13, wherein the authenticationcomponent is a biometric sensor configured to acquire a biometricidentifier from a user and compare the acquired biometric identifier toa reference biometric identifier to authenticate the user.
 15. The keyapparatus of claim 1, wherein when the triggering component is triggeredwithout the shaft entering the keyway of the lock, the transceiver isconfigured to send an alert signal to the at least one device.
 16. Thekey apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transceiver sends the alertsignal if the transceiver does not sense a tag when the triggeringcomponent is triggered.
 17. A system comprising: a tag disposedproximately to at least one of a lock and/or a structure the lock ismounted to, the tag including: a first transceiver, and amicrocontroller configured to store a unique identifier associated withthe lock; and a key apparatus including: a housing having an interior,the interior configured to receive a portion of a key for the lock, thekey having a shaft extending from the housing such that the shaft isinsertable into a keyway of the lock; a second transceiver; and atriggering component coupled to the transceiver, the triggeringcomponent configured to be triggered when the shaft is inserted into thekeyway of the lock, wherein when the triggering component is triggered,the second transceiver is configured to communicate with the firsttransceiver to obtain the unique identifier and send at least onecommunication signal to at least one device.
 18. The system of claim 17,wherein the at least one device is a receiver and the system furtherincludes a camera, the receiver configured to receive the at least onecommunication signal and activate the camera to capture at least oneimage of the lock and/or the surrounding area the lock is disposed in.19. The system of claim 18, wherein the lock is not within the field ofthe view of the camera, the camera is configured to swivel such that thelock is within the field of the view of the camera before capturing theat least one image.
 20. The system of 18, further comprising amonitoring module configured to receive information included in the atleast one communication signal and the at least one image captured, theinformation associated with the lock and/or the tag, the monitoringmodule configured to generate an audit trail associated with lock basedon the information and at least one captured image.
 21. The system ofclaim 20, wherein the camera records daily activity within the field ofview of the camera and provides the daily activity to the monitoringmodule via the receiver, the monitoring module configured to generatedata and trend analytics based on the at least one image captured, theinformation associated with the lock and/or the tag, and/or the recordeddaily activity.
 22. The system of claim 20, wherein responsive toreceiving the at least one image and the information associated with thelock and/or the tag, the monitoring module is configured to output atleast one of the at least one image and the information for display. 23.The system of claim 20, wherein responsive to receiving the at least oneimage and the information associated with the lock and/or the tag, themonitoring module is configured to send a notification to a usercomputing device, the notification including output at least one of theat least one image and the information.
 24. The system of claim 17,wherein the at least one communication signal includes a locked orunlocked state of the lock.
 25. The system of 24, wherein one of themicrocontroller or the second transceiver determines the locked orunlocked state of the lock.
 26. The system of 17, wherein the tagincludes a first battery and the key apparatus includes a secondbattery, the first transceiver configured to communicate a power statusof the first battery to the second transceiver when the triggeringcomponent is triggered, and the at least one communication signalincludes the power status of the first battery and the a power status ofthe second battery.
 27. An apparatus comprising: a housing; atransceiver; a tilt sensor configured to sense if the housing has beentilted; a vibration sensor configured to sense if the housing has beenvibrated; and a microcontroller configured to sense at least onecommunication signal to at least one device if at least one of the tiltsensor senses the housing has been titled and/or the vibration sensorsenses the housing has been vibrated, the communication signal includingat least one of a unique identification number associated with theapparatus and/or information associated with a structure the apparatusis coupled to.
 28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least onedevice is a receiver coupled to a camera and the at least onecommunication signal triggers the camera to capture at least one imageof the lock and/or the area surrounding the lock.